119 Must-Know Words for Navigating Australia with Confidence!

Here’s the deal—you will 100% find yourself in a situation where locals are chatting away in Aussie slang, and you’ll be standing there thinking, WTF did they just say? But no worries, I got you!

Some of these phrases might sound a little strange at first, but trust me, the more you hear them, the easier they’ll be to pick up. Aussies have a way of making everything sound more casual, laid-back, and, well… different. But once you start using these phrases yourself, you’ll blend right in.

Let me give you an example. One night at a hostel, someone asked me, “Are you coming to the piss-up later, mate?” At first, I had no idea what they were on about. But after a moment, I realized—ahh, they’re inviting me to a big party! If you’re backpacking through Australia, this is a key phrase to remember. Aussies love a good party, and trust me, you’ll be getting plenty of invites.

Here’s another one you’ll hear all the time: “My mate came home from the pub pissed as a fart.” No, it’s not about actual farting—it just means someone is completely drunk. If someone tells you they were “on the piss last night,” it means they were out drinking.

Still confused? Try this one: “What’s the John Dory?” This is Aussie slang for “What’s going on?”—a phrase you’ll often hear in the outback. It’s kind of funny, but super useful when you’re trying to figure out what’s happening around you.

And if someone says they’re “Flat out like a lizard drinking,” don’t go looking for a dehydrated reptile—it just means they’re really busy! This one is classic Aussie humor—why compare being busy to a lizard drinking? Who knows, but it works!

At first, all of this might sound completely foreign, but once you start hearing these phrases in real conversations, it’ll click. Before you know it, you’ll be slipping Aussie slang into your own sentences without even realizing it. So, get ready—because once you start speaking like a true blue Aussie, there’s no going back!